South Colby Elementary is the proud recipient of a new American flag donated by a student’s family.

Currently stationed in San Diego with Naval Special Warfare, Chief Doug Wheeler was home on leave when he and his family donated a new American flag to South Colby that had flown on his previous ship.

“I know funding is sometimes tight for schools and I noticed that South Colby needed a new flag. My grandfather always trained me that if a flag is tattered, you take it down,” Wheeler said.

The family’s donation was timed perfectly. The school had been planning to purchase a new flag earlier in the week. Chief Wheeler’s wife, Natalie, works as a playground attendant at the school, and two of her children attend South Colby.

“South Colby really is a family school. We’re always so thankful for and appreciate how our families support us in both large and small ways,” South Colby Principal Joe Riley said. “This donation by the Wheeler family is a wonderful example of how important that relationship is between our families and our school.”